You’ll never experience any interruptions when you switch electricity companies. In fact, service reliability is never affected at all. It typically requires 7 days for the new plan to go into effect and you won’t even notice when it happens. However, you want to make sure that you never make this switch before your current contract is up. Doing so could mean you’ll have to pay early termination fees or penalties.
With a population of over 28 million and growing, Texas is one of the most highly inhabited states in the US. In order to power the homes and businesses within it, Texas produces more electricity than any other state, using roughly 400,000 million kilowatt-hours and enabling residents to consume billions of dollars worth of electricity. As of 2002, the Texas electricity market was deregulated, allowing residents to select their own electricity provider from one of the numerous service companies.
Not only does Amigo Energy feature useful resources on our blog, but we have the right technology to help you track your residential electricity usage and take actions that may help with energy savings. We offer the latest technology (phone apps, smart thermostats, and even smart sprinklers) so you can worry less about your electric bill and focus on what really matters in life.
Electricity deregulation in Texas began in 2002 with the Texas Senate Bill 7, which mandated that deregulation be phased into the state over the next several years. Except for the Cities of Austin and San Antonio, the entire state of Texas is now deregulated – meaning that electricity customers can shop around for the supply side of their electricity charges.

2Offer valid for new residential customers in Texas only. To utilize all features of the Echo Dot, you will need an 'always on' Wi-Fi internet service. If you cancel your plan early there's a fee of $135. You cannot return your Echo Dot to avoid the early cancellation fee. Terms and Conditions apply. All Amazon trademarks and copyrights are property of Amazon.com or its affiliates. The Echo Dot is provided by Direct Energy, Amazon is not a sponsor of this energy plan offer.

After Senate Bill 7 went into effect in January 2002, nearly 6 million power customers became eligible to choose their energy supplier. That number has grown through the years. By deregulating the state’s energy market, the Texas Senate gave constituents the power to choose. The process of energy deregulation in Texas dismantled the utilities’ monopoly over the electric market and encouraged customers to explore their energy options.
Despite the fact that Texas sees much higher temperatures year round, most households contain and use heating units. These units generate heat in one of four ways: other, propane, electricity and natural gas. Just over half of households in Texas use electricity to run their heating units. This is a much greater average than the overall average for the nation.
As a renter, you’re likely concerned about getting your electricity contract’s start and end dates to match your lease term as close as possible. In most cases, your electricity provider will offer flexible start dates and some even offer same-day connections. If you can’t line up your electricity contract exactly with your lease term, it’s okay. It’s better to choose an electricity plan with a slightly longer contract term than your apartment lease if necessary. If you move and provide proof of a change in address, your electricity provider cannot charge you an early termination fee.

Due to the increased usage of natural gas immediately after deregulation, new-era energy tools such as wind power and smart-grid technology were greatly aided. Texas' first "renewable portfolio standard" — or requirement that the state's utilities get a certain amount of their power from renewable energy like wind — was signed into law in 1999, as part of the same legislation that deregulated the electric market.

Like we said, fees don’t necessarily make for a bad plan — although it’s worth it to do the math to see if you can save with another provider. For example, compare TXU Energy’s Simple Rate 12 plan with its $9.95 base charge, alongside Direct Energy’s Live Brighter 12 plan with a smaller base charge, and Reliant’s Digital Discount plan with no base charge. We’ll use a Corpus Christi ZIP code and assume 1,000 kWh/month of energy use.
While no company is perfect, we think an energy provider that owns up to mistakes and tries to treat customers fairly is a good thing for customers and for the deregulated energy industry. If a company isn't taking responsibility, we want the market competition to push them to be better, and customer reviews from energy consumers and ratepayers just like you makes that possible.
Texas Electricity Rating advocates for consumers and evaluates providers in the Texas electricity market for features and characteristics that typical energy customers may miss, such as high deposits, variable rates, incentives, "free" plans, and minimum usage plans. Our mission is to help consumers find the best electricity providers to fit their individual needs, as well as educate customers about potential marketplace pitfalls.
May people look for electricity connection where they don’t have to give any deposit, IDs or a credit check. But, there are not many companies that give this type of offers. So now you don’t have to worry because we have listed all the companies that offer no deposit electricity in Texas. Just enter your zip code and see the list of companies in your area with no-deposit electricity.
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The price to beat seemed to accomplish its goal of attracting competitors to the market during the period through January 1, 2007. It allowed competitors to enter the market without allowing the incumbents to undercut them in price. It has also given energy consumers the ability to compare energy rates offered by different providers. The less-regulated providers undercut the price to beat by only a small margin given that they must balance lower prices (to attract customers and build market share) with higher prices (needed to reinvest in new power plants). Due to the small difference in competing prices and slow (yearly or so) "buying" process, price decrease due to competition was very slow, and it took a few years to offset the original increase by "traditional" electric providers and move to lower rates.
When you use our rate comparison process, providers know that they are competing to win your business. Consequently, they offer cheap electric rates in hopes of becoming your new Texas electricity company. This benefits both you and the provider you select. You receive a cheap electric rate and the plan of your choice, and the provider adds another satisfied customer.